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J ULY 18, 2012
P ORTLAND , O REGON
V OLUME XXXIV, N O . 18
25
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C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW
Big River
Float
July 29
FOOD
AND
FAITH
Advocates say
Willamette is cleaner,
thousands agree
By Lisa Loving
Of The Skanner News
The Farm to Congregation Program is
focused on increasing access to
healthy, affordable produce for
everyone while providing opportunity
for small farmers, especially new and
immigrant farmers. It is one of several
projects of Ecumenical Ministries of
Oregon’s Interfaith Food and Farms
Partnership and includes the weekly
Farmers Market at Muslim Community
Center, 3801 NE MLK Blvd, Fridays
1:30-2:30 p.m. The little market is
open to the public and features
produce, berries, and honey from
Great River Farm on Sauvie Island.
For more information, contact Alison
Warren at awarren@emoregon.org.
cut line
Effort to Promote Breastfeeding
ICTC plays key role in bringing moms together for focus groups
Julie Sullivan-Springhetti
Of Multnomah County
M
ost Oregon moms
breastfeed their babies.
But African American
parents stop breastfeeding soon-
er than others and fewer choose
to start breastfeeding at all. Now
a community health partnership
is working to understand why.
Parents of children under age
5 are invited to a series of focus
groups on barriers to breastfeed-
ing in the African-American
community.
See RIVER on page 3
INDEX
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
L
ast year, Willamette River advocate
Will Levenson spearheaded the Big
Float, a first-time event that saw more
than a thousand people cross the river on
inner tubes and other floatables.
For this year’s Big Float, which is Sunday,
July 29, Levenson is thinking bigger.
“This community is going to really start
caring about the Willamette,” he says. “It’s
going to be more than the river you drive
over – it’s going to be the river of fun and
enjoyment.”
A benefit for the Willamette Riverkeeper,
the Big Float 2012 is expected to attract up
to 3,000 people, and organizers hope to
break the world record for the number of
people simultaneously floating in “water
rings” that are connected together “with
something other than hands.”
The event is $5, and this year life vests are
required for all participants in addition to
your “personal floatation devices.”
Levenson says that there is no current on
this part of the river and that the water is
warm, “like a lake.”
Registration kicks off starting at 10 a.m.
Sunday morning, on the east side of the
Willamette River near the Hawthorne
Bridge. At 12:30 p.m. a parade of inner-
tubers walks across the bridge, then the
group puts into the water on the west side
after each participant gets their water gear
safety-checked.
A barge holding a live band is docked in
the center of the river for the event; partici-
pants are expected to spend an hour and a
half in the water as they paddle their floats
across to the other side.
On the east side of the bridge is a commu-
nity after-party with food carts, a beer
garden by the Kona Brewing Company, and
children’s activities by the Confederated
Tribes of the Grande Ronde.
Early weather reports say to expect partial
Although breastfeeding rates
among Oregon’s African Amer-
ican population exceed those at
the national level, the percent-
age of those who start
breastfeeding and continue
breastfeeding to one-year is
lower than Oregon’s population
as a whole, according to state
surveys.
The focus groups are a collab-
oration of the International
Center for Traditional Child-
bearing, Women, Infants and
Children (WIC) program of
Multnomah County, the Urban
League of Portland and the
Healthy Birth Initiative, Mult-
nomah County.
“We want the black communi-
ty to see breastfeeding as
everyone’s business,’’ said
Shafia M. Monroe, the Interna-
tional Center for Traditional
Childbearing president and a
midwife
for
nearly
30
years. “Some people think it’s
personal. You bring it up and
everyone becomes quiet. But
there needs to be more dialogue.
We all care about our babies.”
The Center will host two
focus groups in Portland with
women and an event for men.
“We know the many benefits
mother’s milk has on the growth
and development of the baby,
and it’s free!’’ said David
Brown, WIC program manager.
“Breast truly is best.”
Jamaal Jensen, owner of
Champion Barbershop, is one of
the partners hosting the men’s
focus group. He says men have
questions about how to support
the mother while breastfeeding.
Health experts recommend
See MOMS on page 7
Jordan Center Gala a Family Event
News ................2,3,6,7
Retired parks official to be celebrated with food, music, fun
Opinion ..................4,5
By Helen Silvis
Of The Skanner News
A & E .........................7
Food..........................5
Bids/Classifieds ..........7
I
ce cream, music and family activities
will headline the festivities at a rededi-
cation celebration for The Charles
Jordan Community Center. The celebration
is set for 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 22
at 9009 N. Foss Ave. Open to everyone, the
event is free and will be followed by a con-
cert in neighboring McCoy Park.
Portland City Council voted unanimously
to honor Jordan for his contributions to
Portland. As a twice-elected city commis-
sioner, and later as Parks director, Jordan
literally changed Portland’s landscape. Dur-
ing the 14 years he was Parks director, the
bureau added 44 new parks and natural
areas.
There’s not a place where you can look in
this city and not see his footprint,” says
Michelle Harper, who worked with Jordan
at the City and at Portland Parks.
“’Portland’s living room,’ Pioneer Court-
house Square, would not have existed if not
for his leadership. And he was the first to
call it Portland’s living room. In so many
ways, he was ahead of his time.”
See CENTER on page 3